Mayor unveils mock-up of new London bus

Boris Johnson today unveiled the first mock up of London's new bus. Photo: TfLBoris Johnson has unveiled a full-size mock up of the capital’s new bus, marking a new phase in the development of what Transport for London hopes become a new icon for the capital.

The mock-up, built by Wrightbus and presented to the media this morning at the London Transport Museum’s depot at Acton, will be shown to “key stakeholders” and allow TfL seek views on layout and use of the bus.

A working prototype is expected to be delivered late next year with the first five buses scheduled to enter passenger service in early 2012. Introduction of a new bus for London was a key manifesto commitment by Mayor Johnson in 2008’s London elections.

Earlier this year the Mayor and Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy unveiled images showing the final design of the bus.

Speaking today the Mayor said “It is wonderful to see how those two-dimensional designs we unveiled in May have been forged into this amazing bus and I for one cannot wait to be launching the buses when they first enter passenger service in 2012.”

Mr Hendy said producing the mock-up was “a vital part of the development process and provides the opportunity for people to have a hands-on experience when sharing their views of the bus.”

TfL has applied to the Intellectual Property Office for Registered Design Protection of the vehicle’s exterior design, if granted this will give the capital exclusive rights over the new design.

Whatever you make think of the design, the new bus will push bus technology forward by the wheels being driven using electric hub motors. The diesel engine will be smaller and quieter than buses use today, and hopefully in due course will disappear all together. Long term only all electric buses ( they are called trolleybuses) will stop polluting London’s streets.

Trolleybuses deserted the streets of London in 1962, so 2012 will mark 50 years without quiet electric traction on London streets. Will we see a trolleybus version of the new bus at least on trail by 2012?

Well said Barry but adjacent to your comment we see a link to Air quality is a low priority for London’s Mayor. So instead we get ‘toys for boys’ with little prospect of seeing this prototype bus being in a class of 10 or more plying London’s streets.

It’s too late to construct even a tiny system of trolleybuses for Olympic use but had the will been there a few years ago then maybe a fleet of these http://www.796.org.uk/boris/dd.jpg would be on our roads in 2012.

There will have to be tough decisions taken with dwindling oil reserves and if mobility in London is still required ten there’s no option but to see trolleybuses in use.

The Trolleybus was one option considered by the London Assembly Transport Committee in 2005 when looking at the viability of having the ‘West London Tram’ running along the Uxbridge road from Uxbridge to Marble Arch. Since then the idea of the Tram has thankfully been consigned to history. Unfortunately Mayor Livingstone and TfL were completely ‘sold’ on the idea of a Tram at the time and were not remotely interested in hearing about a Trolleybus despite its being considerably cheaper, able to be operational much more quickly, and having numerous other advantages over the Tram.

Now we have a Mayor who can’t see beyond having a new Routemaster. Having the Trolleybus on some routes really should be looked at very seriously by TfL.